• Steve
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    2 months ago

    They aren’t organized by the Sate. They have no official authority. So they aren’t really a Militia.
    They are a literal gang.
    Stop calling them Militia.

    • Dasus@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Militia isn’t defined by being part of the State.

      It’s a term used to describe a military force comprised of civilians. There’s even a modern connotation of being against the state.

      a military force that engages in rebel or terrorist activities in opposition to a regular army.

      Gangs aren’t purely for military purposes, so if the purpose of this gang is an armed attack against a govenrment agency, then it’s not unreasonable to call them a militia.

        • Dasus@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          I don’t understand. Do you find that confusing?

          Boiled down, “militia” doesn’t mean much more than “group of non-soldiers organised in a soldier sort of way with the intention of doing soldier sort of things”.

      • Gigasser@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        I think the term is private vs state militias, and with this article being about armed militias, we are talking about armed private vs armed state militias. I think technically all 50 states have laws on the books that prohobit various forms of private armed militia activity. Is it enforceable? Maybe, but that would maybe probably cause a nation wide incident given the amount of violence these groups can wield (though they would probably still lose against any organized state militias or any official state/federal military force), as well as increase the chance of a homegrown insurgency popping up. That’s just my armchair opinion or thought about it though, I’m just armchairing here.

      • WoahWoah@lemmy.world
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        2 months ago

        Detained on a misdemeanor and released. It’s also not clear whether these are two separate reports.

        • Duckingold@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          The Washington Post article goes over the threats and there is nothing substantiating the armed militia.

          It would be a bit odd to me for the national guard to report to the US Forestry that they saw an armed militia and wouldn’t be actively pursuing it. Seems more likely is was a miscommunication in a hectic environment.

    • rtxn@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Because that’s how you get reactionary keyboad warriors going “OMG ACAB WHY ARE THEY ARRESTING THEM THIS IS LITERALLY 1984” on every website and media outlet. Also, probably firefights, officer-involved shootings, and further inflammation of a situation that was fucked from the start.

      People don’t tend to use their best judgement when blues are involved, especially in America.

        • rtxn@lemmy.world
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          2 months ago

          We’re talking about armed militia members hunting federal workers. I don’t think they’d take kindly to the presence of a blue uniform. I’d sooner send in the army and let the good god Darwin sort it out.

          The area is a powder keg and you’re offering a matchstick.

            • rtxn@lemmy.world
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              2 months ago

              I’d love to have a simple solution for you that is fault-proof, pleases everyone, and can be explained in a ten-minutes-past-midnight comment. Believe me, I’d love to fix every wrong with society, but I can’t. Evacuation of the workers and letting the situation calm down is probably the best immediate action that results in the fewest lost lives. Again, the situation is fucked because of way too many stupid, aggressive people in the same place, and that’s a problem that can’t be fixed by force.

              • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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                2 months ago

                Cool. I’m just wondering how to stop FEMA people being murdered. I’m not concerned with pleasing anyone except their partners and kids when they see them come home in the evening.

              • xmunk@sh.itjust.works
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                2 months ago

                The simple solution is to use the police and if there is an open fire fight send in the national guard.

                This is a problem that’s gone too far and while we essentially might have a Waco on our hands there simply isn’t another solution. Either these sovereign citizens stand down or violence will be the result… I don’t know if you’ve seen any of their bullshit on YouTube but some of these fucks are too far gone to reason with and it’s an ideology that inevitably leads to violence. I’d rather it involve law enforcement than regular folks in the area.

            • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
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              2 months ago

              If you’re talking about me, no. I just don’t want anyone to get murdered while trying to help disaster victims.

    • WoahWoah@lemmy.world
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      2 months ago

      Just to clarify, as far as I can tell, the trucks were reported by the National Guard to the US Forest Service who notified FEMA. The other was a call to a sheriff’s office about a single individual. It’s quite possible these are two actual but different things.